Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
ABSTRACT
Studies of the living organic matter humification process are essential for understanding the carbon biogeochemical
cycle. The aim of this study is to analyze relations between the properties of peat, peat humic acids and peat humification degree. The analysis has been done on samples of humic substances extracted from peat profiles in two ombrotrophic bogs and relations between peat age, decomposition and humification degree, botanical composition and properties
of peat humic acids (elemental, functional composition) were studied. The found variability of peat properties is less
significant than differences in the properties of peat-forming living matter, thus revealing the dominant impact of humification process on the properties of peat. Correspondingly, composition of peat humic acids is little affected by differences in the composition of precursor living organic material.
Keywords: Peat; Humic Substances; Humic Acids; Humification
1. Introduction
In the carbon biogeochemical cycle, the transformation
of living organic matter into refractory part of organic
matter (humic substances, such as humic acids, fulvic
acids, and humin) or humification is of key importance.
Humification can be defined as the transformation of
numerous groups of substances (proteins, carbohydrates,
lipids etc.) and individual molecules present in living
organic matter into groups of substances with similar
properties (humic substances) [1]. Humification plays an
important role in the diagenesis of fossil carbon deposits
[2]. Humification is a sum of very complex processes including degradation and synthetic reactions, but also considering the high variability of environmental conditions
under which living organic matter decays, slow pace of
humification reactions and large number of structural differences of the organic molecules composing living organic matter. It can be supposed that humification conditions may have an impact on the structure and properties
of refractory intermediate transformation products of living organic matterhumic substances. From this perspective, it is important to study humification processes
in a relatively homogeneous and stable environment, for
example, bogs to reduce the impact of natural environmental variability.
*
The research was financially supported by ERAF, the project Innovation in Peat Studies for Development of New Applications.
No: 210/0264/2DP2/2.1.1.1.0/10/APIA/VIAA/037
Formation and Changes of Humic Acid Properties during Peat Humification Process within Ombrotrophic Bogs
101
2O 3N
H
C
(2C 2) H
2
(1)
(2)
(Mc O%)
(Mo C%)
(3)
H C
(Mc H%)
(MH C%)
(4)
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Formation and Changes of Humic Acid Properties during Peat Humification Process within Ombrotrophic Bogs
2.6. Hydrophobicity
Hydrophobicity of humic substances was characterized
by their distribution between water and polyethylene
(PEG) phases (PEG 20000, Fluka) [21] as distribution
coefficient KPEGW (analogous to octanol/water distribution coefficientKow). The 10% PEG-10% (NH4)2SO4HA-H2O systems were prepared by mixing 2 ml of 30%
PEG solution with 2 ml of ammonium sulphate solution
and 2 ml of HA (2 mg/ml in 0.05 M NaOH). The mixtures were shaken for 10 min. After complete phase separation, 1 ml was taken from each phase and diluted by 10
times in 0.05 M NaHCO3. Then the absorbances at 465
nm were measured on a DR/2000 spectrophotometer
(Hach Co). The distribution coefficients were calculated
as follows: KPEGW = absorbance at 465 nm of the top
(PEG-rich) phase/absorbance at 465 nm of the bottom
phase.
Formation and Changes of Humic Acid Properties during Peat Humification Process within Ombrotrophic Bogs
103
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Formation and Changes of Humic Acid Properties during Peat Humification Process within Ombrotrophic Bogs
Table 1. Peat decomposition degree and elemental composition of peat in Dzelve bog.
Depth, cm
Decomposition, %
C%
H%
N%
S%
O/C
H/C
N/C
12
44.77
5.91
0.73
0.89
0.80
1.58
0.014
105
14
45.68
5.78
0.53
0.88
0.77
1.52
0.010
160
12
46.05
5.81
0.55
0.88
0.76
1.51
0.010
205
10
45.53
5.60
0.47
0.81
0.78
1.47
0.009
240
44.84
5.47
0.45
0.88
0.81
1.46
0.009
305
13
47.42
5.75
0.76
0.87
0.72
1.45
0.014
320
12
45.73
5.55
0.62
1.22
0.77
1.45
0.012
325
24
44.73
5.44
0.60
0.64
0.82
1.46
0.012
335
30
52.10
5.20
1.51
0.73
0.58
1.20
0.025
340
38
52.70
5.20
1.70
0.77
0.56
1.18
0.028
350
>60
55.53
6.20
1.23
1.19
0.48
1.34
0.019
Formation and Changes of Humic Acid Properties during Peat Humification Process within Ombrotrophic Bogs
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Formation and Changes of Humic Acid Properties during Peat Humification Process within Ombrotrophic Bogs
Table 2. Correlations between indicators describing decomposition of the precursor living materials (age and depth of the
studied peat layer, decomposition, HA/FA, D540, E4/E6 and I460/I510) and peat composition parameters (O/C, H/C, N/C) in
Eipurs bog.
O/C
H/C
N/C
E4/E6
I460/I510
HA/FA
D540
Decomposition, %
0.585
0.616
0.626
0.575
0.055
0.330
0.437
0.860
Depth, cm
0.517
0.588
0.624
0.858
0.175
0.393
0.201
0.794
0.667
0.487
0.292
0.051
0.568
0.474
0.543
0.582
0.476
0.008
0.555
0.543
0.592
O/C
H/C
N/C
0.636
0.242
0.387
0.578
0.667
0.313
0.250
0.323
0.741
0.239
0.260
0.664
0.843
0.857
E4/E6
I460/I510
HA/FA
0.776
Table 3. Correlations between indicators describing decomposition of the precursor living materials (age and depth of the
studied peat layer, decomposition, HA/FA, D540, E4/E6 and I460/I510) and peat composition parameters (O/C, H/C, N/C) in
Dzelve bog.
O/C
H/C
N/C
E4/E6
I460/I510
HA/FA
D540
Decomposition, %
0.587
0.689
0.469
0.871
0.525
0.466
0.458
0.792
Depth, cm
0.318
0.525
0.226
0.700
0.304
0.159
0.201
0.461
0.668
0.705
0.786
0.574
0.768
0.642
0.785
0.804
0.738
0.495
0.520
0.538
0.735
0.491
0.419
0.610
0.638
0.720
0.695
0.632
0.578
0.813
0.774
0.859
0.694
0.865
0.817
O/C
H/C
N/C
14
Age, C years
E4/E6
I460/I510
HA/FA
0.732
Formation and Changes of Humic Acid Properties during Peat Humification Process within Ombrotrophic Bogs
107
Figure 9. Elemental composition of peat humic acids from Eipurs (a, c) and Dzelve (b, d) bog.
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Formation and Changes of Humic Acid Properties during Peat Humification Process within Ombrotrophic Bogs
Figure 10. Element ratios in peat humic acids from Eipurs (a, b) and Dzelve (c, d) bogs.
Figure 11. Van Krevelen (H/C vs. O/C atomic ratio) graph
of peat humic acids from Eipurs () and Dzelve () bogs,
bog plants () [28], coal HA () [28].
4. Conclusion
A study of correlations between the properties of humic
acids isolated from corresponding peat layers and peat
decomposition degree proves the concept about major
processes behind the humification and illustrates the diagenesis of peat organic matter (Figure 13). At first, the
increased peat decomposition degree might be associated
with the dehydrogenation of peat humic acids, probably
leading towards the development of aromatic structures.
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Formation and Changes of Humic Acid Properties during Peat Humification Process within Ombrotrophic Bogs
109
Figure 13. Correlation among the properties of humic acid and peat decomposition degree, and D540 of Eipurs bog.
[7]
A. Borgmark, Holocene Climate Variability and Periodicities in South-Central Sweden, as Interpreted from
Peat Humification Analysis, Holocene, Vol. 15, No. 3,
2005, pp. 387-395. doi:10.1191/0959683605hl816rp
[8]
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Formation and Changes of Humic Acid Properties during Peat Humification Process within Ombrotrophic Bogs
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